Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Douglas and Perth

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Douglas: $2,534 a month against $3,080 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Perth outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

125

Cost of Living Index in Port Douglas
Learn more

Port Douglas Living Index
148

Cost of Living Index in Perth
Learn more

Perth Living Index

Jump to prices

Port Douglas

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,534

/mo nomad

Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,080

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Port Douglas and in Perth

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Port Douglas and in Perth actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,534 in Port Douglas versus $3,080 in Perth.

Port Douglas $2,534
Perth $3,080

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,674 in Port Douglas versus $4,194 in Perth.

Port Douglas $3,674
Perth $4,194

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,814 in Port Douglas versus $5,309 in Perth.

Port Douglas $4,814
Perth $5,309

Living in Port Douglas costs roughly 18% less than in Perth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Port Douglas 86% above, Perth 126% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 A$24.94

$21.45 A$30.48

-18.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.3 A$137

$85.5 A$122

12.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.56 A$17.85

$10.92 A$15.51

15.02%

Cappuccino

$4.28 A$6.08

$4.55 A$6.47

-5.93%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 A$4.57

$2.79 A$3.96

15.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 A$3.95

$2.26 A$3.21

23.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 A$9.74

$8.31 A$11.81

-17.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.52 A$12.11

$8.55 A$12.15

-0.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 A$2.75

$1.68 A$2.38

14.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 A$3.91

$3.18 A$4.52

-13.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.57

$2.02 A$2.87

24.26%

Eggs

$5.34 A$7.59

$5.28 A$7.51

1.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.22 A$13.10

$9.51 A$13.51

-3.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.57 A$19.28

$9.21 A$13.09

47.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.36 A$21.83

$13.99 A$19.88

9.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 A$5.82

$4.60 A$6.53

-11.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 A$3.88

$3.15 A$4.48

-13.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 A$5.03

$3.52 A$5.00

0.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 A$8.10

$4.84 A$6.88

17.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 A$3.67

$2.79 A$3.97

-7.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.59 A$3.68

$1.88 A$2.68

37.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 A$4.03

$2.21 A$3.13

28.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.58

$1.34 A$1.90

88.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.71 A$63.5

$42.80 A$60.8

4.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.80 A$19.60

$12.65 A$17.97

9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.49 A$4.95

$4.35 A$6.19

-19.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.14 A$7.30

$3.37 A$4.78

52.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.73 A$3.88

$2.41 A$3.42

13.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.8 A$126

$99.6 A$142

-10.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.51 A$3.57

$3.59 A$5.10

-30.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 A$2.83

$1.46 A$2.07

36.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.29 A$60.1

$40.46 A$57.5

4.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 A$1.77

$1.35 A$1.92

-8.15%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.5K A$41.9K

$29.6K A$42.0K

-0.25%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$30.4K A$43.2K

$28.1K A$40.0K

8.02%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$161 A$228

$204 A$289

-21.15%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$34.89 A$49.58

$33.62 A$47.77

3.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.6 A$93.2

$64.8 A$92.1

1.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.9 A$87.9

$54.0 A$76.7

14.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.84 A$25.35

$21.16 A$30.06

-15.69%

Cinema Ticket

$13.82 A$19.64

$17.29 A$24.57

-20.07%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,063 A$2,932

$2,300 A$3,267

-10.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K A$19.6K

$23.1K A$32.8K

-40.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.5 A$131

$77.5 A$110

19.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$72.1 A$102

$63.7 A$90.6

13.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 A$176

$121 A$172

2.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 A$184

$166 A$235

-21.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,605 A$2,280

$2,006 A$2,850

-20.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 A$1,662

$1,673 A$2,378

-30.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,528 A$3,592

$2,819 A$4,006

-10.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,650 A$2,345

$2,156 A$3,064

-23.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,515 A$9,257

$8,504 A$12.1K

-23.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,407 A$6,262

$6,037 A$8,579

-27.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,224 A$6,002

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.32

5.96

6.04%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Port Douglas: October 27, 2026

Last update for Perth: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Port Douglas

$1.2K 46.2%

Perth

$1.7K 54.3% 43.1% $504

Groceries & Markets

Port Douglas

$409 16.1%

Perth

$365 11.9% 10.7% $44

Eating Out

Port Douglas

$305 12%

Perth

$338 11% 10.8% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Douglas

$261 10.3%

Perth

$302 9.8% 15.7% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Port Douglas

$188 7.4%

Perth

$193 6.3% 2.4% $4.6

Getting Around

Port Douglas

$112 4.4%

Perth

$120 3.9% 7.1% $7.9

Sport & Entertainment

Port Douglas

$90 3.5%

Perth

$89 2.9% 1.1% $1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,605 in Port Douglas and $2,006 in Perth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $96 in Port Douglas vs $86 in Perth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $409 vs $365 per month, with Perth cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Port Douglas

🇦🇺 Perth

🕒 Local time

01:47 1:47 AM

23:47 11:47 PM

2 h behind Port Douglas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,500

2,043,762

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Port Douglas Perth 3,440 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Port Douglas
Perth

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Port Douglas vs Perth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Douglas is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and transport. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,801 in Port Douglas and $4,620 in Perth to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,605 in Port Douglas versus $2,006 in Perth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Port Douglas runs roughly 11% less than in Perth. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,063 in Port Douglas versus $2,300 in Perth. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,534 in Port Douglas versus $3,080 in Perth, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Port Douglas but tight or insufficient in Perth. The gap between the two cities makes Port Douglas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Port Douglas and Perth are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.